In 1998, Peter Longerich published Politik der Vernichtung (Politics of Destruction), a stunning re-examination of the Holocaust that is now generally recognized by historians as the standard account of this horrific chapter in human history. Finally available in English as Holocaust, and fully updated by the author, Longerich's book surveys an unrivaled range of sources—including the rediscovered archives of the Central Association of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith—to lay out in detail the steps taken by the Nazis that would lead ultimately to the Final Solution. He convincingly shows that anti-Semitism was not a by-product of the Nazis' political mobilization; it was instead a central tenet, from 1933 on, of the Nazi movement's attempts to implement their rule.

"Skeptics who maintain there is little of value left to learn about the Holocaust should read this superb and provocative work originally published in German in 1998. Now revised and published in English for the first time, it offers relatively new data as well as a convincing thesis regarding the genesis and execution of systematic genocide. Longerich rejects the assertions of so-called 'structuralists' who view the 'Final Solution' as a byproduct of the war, which implies that anti-Jewish policies simply 'got out of control' under wartime stress. Rather, extermination of Jews was the logical result of the virulent race hatred of the Nazis. Furthermore, Longerich shows that this hatred of Jews was prevalent in Germany well before the Nazi ascension to power in 1933. As expected, it permeated parties of the Right, but it infected all aspects of German society. This is a scholarly work relying heavily on letters, reports, and statistics, but it does not neglect the shattering anguish of individual humans. This is a vital addition to the field of Holocaust studies."—Booklist (starred review)